


Another Side

by BreakfastTea



Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Angst, Brotherhood: Final Fantasy XV, Gen, Hurt/Comfort, Violence, pre-game
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-08
Updated: 2017-12-12
Packaged: 2019-02-11 23:07:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,705
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12946011
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BreakfastTea/pseuds/BreakfastTea
Summary: When Noctis has to take out three attackers, Prompto finds it hard to cope with the knowledge that his best friend's combat training isn't merely for some ceremonial purpose.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Well what do you know, another one of these things ran away from me ^^; Hence the multiple parts. I think it'll only be four, but we'll see...
> 
> So, I was thinking "I wonder how Prompto, being the ray of sunshine that he is, would cope the first time he realised Noctis is a trained and capable killer?" and this story was born. Because I dunno about you, but if one of my closest friends suddenly revealed her deadly combat skills, it'd take me a minute to adjust. 
> 
> Hope you all enjoy!

The streets of Insomnia were slick with rain. A storm pummelled the city, the wind howling down narrow alleys and whipping around the streets. Noctis walked alongside Prompto, umbrella shielding him from the worst of the weather. In the back of his mind he could hear Ignis chiding him for refusing to take his duffle coat today.

Never mind. That was what towels were for.

“Have you studied for the test tomorrow?” Prompto asked around a mouthful of pork bun, distracting Noctis from his thoughts.

“Yeah,” Noctis said. He shifted his umbrella back so he could see his friend. “You haven’t?”

“Uhhhhh…” Prompto swallowed. “I prefer last minute cramming. Don’t you?”

“Not really.”

“Could I come over and study with you?” Prompto asked. “My parents called last night to tell me if I don’t get my grades up, my birthday’s officially cancelled.”

Noctis stared at his doleful friend. “They’d do that?”

“Well, probably not, but Mom was still mad at me.”

“Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Prompto said. “It’s my own fault.”

“Sure, come over,” Noctis said. “I’ll drill you on your knowledge of chemical bonds until your brain bleeds out of your ears.”

Prompto blinked. “That’s, like, way too graphic.”

Noctis laughed.

They strolled down the backstreet, opting to avoid the busier main streets today. With the city’s annual celebration of King Regis’ coronation mere days away, Noctis was keen to avoid being recognised. The only reason he hadn’t taken up Ignis’ offer of a ride home after school was so he could hang out with Prompto. Taking the city’s narrow, winding backstreets was a small price to pay, even in such appalling weather.

Something crashed into Noctis. He looked down and saw a terrified child, clad only in shorts and a vest. No shoes, no coat to protect him from the rain and the cold, his filthy face turned up to Noctis for the briefest of moments. He was young, probably no more than ten, but terrible fear was etched into his features, ageing him far beyond his tender years.

Noctis reached out to the child. “Are you –”  

He didn’t get a chance to finish. The boy pushed away and ran on without a word.

“Is he okay?” Prompto asked.

Noctis frowned, but before he could speak, shouts boomed out from behind him.

“There he is!”

Three men shoved past Noctis and Prompto, racing after the boy. Noctis’ stomach twisted. Something about this whole thing was wrong. The child looked back, fear flashing in his eyes. He disappeared down an alleyway between two cafes.

“Should we call – oh, whoa, Noct! Wait up!”

Noctis tossed his umbrella aside and raced after the boy and the three men. He reached the mouth of the alleyway in time to see the three of them attacking the child, punching him to the ground. None of them seemed to care about beating a child to a pulp.

“Hey!” Noctis shouted. His voice boomed down the narrow alley, bouncing off the walls. “Let him go!”

“Stay out of this!” One of the men, the largest of the three dressed a gaudy suit that strained around flab and muscle, turned to Noctis. “It ain’t got nothing to do with you. You walk on.”

Noctis stepped into the alleyway. “Leave that boy alone.”

“Oh, you’re a tough guy, huh?” The guy pulled a gun out of his waistband. His voice took on a soft, sibilant edge. “Walk on, kid. You didn’t see nothing, get me?”

Noctis clenched his fists. He couldn’t walk away. Instead, he reached out to the crystal and pulled on its magic, using it to form a Thunder spell. If he could stun the three of them, he could get the boy to safety.

“Let him go now,” Noctis said, his voice firm and commanding. “This is your final warning.”

“Kid, I’ve got a gun. What do you think you’re gonna do to –”

Enough. It was enough. Noctis couldn’t let them hurt the boy a moment longer. Lightning shot out of his hands, slamming into the three men and knocking them back. They cried out, their bodies jerking awkwardly. Noctis ran to the injured boy and lifted him into his arms, just as Prompto caught up with him. The child didn’t react; he was bloody, bruised and swollen.

“Oh man, poor kid,” Prompto said.

“Call an ambulance,” Noctis said. He checked for a pulse and found one, strong and steady. He breathed a sigh of relief. “We need to get him out of here.” He passed the child over to Prompto. Opening his school bag, he rummaged inside and pulled out a potion. It was supposed to be for flare ups with his old back injury, but that didn’t matter right now. He pressed it into the child’s hand and crushed it. Magic washed over the child, healing the least of his injuries and stopping the worst of the bleeding. “Go. Now,” Noctis commanded Prompto. “I’ll make sure those three don’t go anywhere.”

“Alright. Be careful.”

Prompto ran with the boy. Noctis turned back to the three men. The two lackeys remained on the floor, trembling uncontrollably as the Thunder spell coursed through them. But the leader grabbed them and shoved them to their feet. They were both smaller than him, but by no means weak, their bodies hard and lean.

“Get up!” He snarled. “Fight him!”

The pair came at Noctis. He didn’t need to hit them with another spell. Their punches were wild and uncontrolled. He ducked beneath the first’s wide swing. The second kicked at Noctis’ chest, but he caught the man’s leading leg, pulled him off balance, and sent the heel of his hand crashing into the man’s face. Bone cracked under Noctis’ hand as the man’s nose broke. Blood coated his fingers. The man dropped to the ground, moaning and groaning.

Noctis switched his attention back to his other attacker, spinning around in time to block a knife aiming for his heart. He knocked it out of the man’s hand, the weapon clattering to the wet ground. The man reacted in an instant, arms and fists punching out. He moved like a boxer, dancing to the left and right. Noctis blocked his punches and dodged around a kick, warp-shifting so he was behind the man. He had no time to react; he obviously hadn't expected his teenaged opponent to be capable of warping. Noctis' school shoe slammed into his head, the entire weight of his body behind the attack. The boxer slammed into the ground beside his injured friend.

“You bastard,” the leader hissed. “Who the fuck do you think you are, coming down here and treating us like that?” His clutched a gun. His arm snapped up. “I’ll kill you!”

Noctis threw himself to one side, but there wasn’t much room in the alleyway. An immense bang filled the air. Short, sharp pain hit Noctis just below the ribs. Everything stopped. The shouting. The running feet. Hush fell over the rain-slicked alleyway, spoiled only by the echoing snap of gunfire.

“Noct!” Prompto’s startled cry came from behind.

Rain pummelled him. The roar of it filled his head. His hair glued itself to his skull. Air heaved in and out of his lungs. He tasted blood at the back of his throat. Teeth clenched, instinct kicked in and another spell tore out of him, this one a burst of flames. It hit the man, the _shooter,_ and he dropped his weapon with a cry. He tugged at his jacket, pulling it off and tossing it to the ground before it could burn him. Noctis’ outstretched arm trembled, the last of the flickering flames fading away, stealing their heat from him.

“Shit! Shit!” A voice gasped from the ground. “Boss, he’s… he’s…”

“I know who he is!” The leader hissed, cradling his burnt arm. “Doesn’t change anything. He’s just some spoiled little shit sticking his nose in where it don’t belong.”

“We are so, so fucked,” said the man with the broken nose, his work thick with pain. “You said this would be easy! You said nothing about shooting the fucking prince!”

“Don’t just stand there!” The leader shouted. “Run!”

Footsteps raced away, deeper into the alleyway. The three men ran away, their fool’s errand forgotten.

Noctis couldn’t let them go. Not after what they’d done. They’d only hurt more people if he let them escape. He had to stop them so they could answer for their crimes. He reached deeper into himself, past the roaring pain, seeking the magic he’d spent so many hours training to use.

Magic that was supposed to protect the citizens of Insomnia, not be used to corral them.

But these three…

Outrage and determination blocked Noctis’ pain.

These three had hurt a terrified child.

He couldn’t let them get away.

A massive blast of Blizzard tore out of him, hitting the two underlings in the back. The leader fell to one side, but the magic caught his legs. The two were frozen in place, solid blocks of ice.

Dead?

Noctis didn’t have time to dwell. The burned leader bellowed loudly, trapped but definitely alive.

Noctis gasped for breath, his head spinning. His hand dropped, swinging limply at his side. His vision blurred and darkened. He teetered to the side, crashing into a wall lined with discarded waste. The scent of putrid rot washed up his nostrils.

Footsteps came running. Hands grabbed him before he could collapse to the filthy ground. “Noct, that was incredible! Are you –” Prompto’s voice choked off. “Oh. Oh no. Don’t move. Just don’t… don’t move!”

It hit without warning. Pain. Like a sharp needle through the soft flesh of his stomach. But more. More, more, more. Everywhere at once. A terrible stabbing agony straight through his… Through his…

His trembling hands reached for his side.

There was a bullet buried there, the hole left in its wake ragged and bleeding. Blood drenched his uniform. A ridiculous thought passed through him and he giggled. “That’s never gonna come out,” he said, words loose and slippery on his tongue. He coughed and spat blood. “Ignis is gonna kill me,” he wheezed.

“No, no he’s not. It’s okay.” Prompto’s voice quivered. “It’s gonna be okay. Help’s on its way. I called. Hold on. Just hold on.” He pulled off his school tie and jammed it against Noctis’ side. “I have to stop the bleeding.” He then yanked Noctis’ tie off and used it to secure his own in place. “You’re gonna be fine.”

Flinching, Noctis forced his eyes off the wound and up to Prompto. He reached out to his friend, only to find he no longer hand the strength to raise his arm. “You okay?”

Prompto nodded tearfully. “I’m fine. I… you…” Tears rolled down his face. “Don’t die, Noct. Please, please don’t die.”

Noctis nodded in agreement. “The boy?”

“He’s gonna be okay,” Prompto said. “Don’t worry. I got him out the rain. And that potion you had… It’s the reason he’s still alive.” He laughed nervously. “Don’t ‘spose you have another one?”

Noctis shook his head, now too tired to even speak. He couldn’t seem to fill his lungs enough.

“I can’t believe you did that,” Prompto said. He laughed, the sound unsteady. “I had no idea you could fight like that.”

Noctis’ eyes slid shut. His legs collapsed beneath him and he fell before Prompto could catch him, smashing into the rain-soaked ground. His eyes drifted to the heavy sky above, the sombre clouds weighing heavy over Insomnia.

A shadow fell over him.

“No, no, no, don’t do that. Stay awake. Ignis is on his way. And Gladio. And I swear, like, every single one your dad’s Glaives are coming so just…”

Prompto’s voice faded under the torrent of rain. It filled Noctis’ ears and bounced off his skin. It pooled beneath him, cold drenching him. Water surrounded him, each drop a weight tugging him down, down, down.

“– on, okay? Hold – Hey, get off! Get off me!”

“Come here, you bastard! Come here!”

“Get off! He’ll die if I don’t stop the bleeding!”

“I don’t care! Look at what he’s done to my friends! They’re dead! He fucking froze them!”

“Maybe you shouldn’t have hurt a kid like – ah!”

“One more word, and I’ll gut you where you stand.”

Noctis clung to consciousness with everything inside of him. Prompto was in danger. Noctis’ heart pounded with terror. He couldn’t let Prompto get hurt. He had to do something before it was too late. Teeth clenched, he pushed himself to his knees, the sound of his friend’s distress filling him with strength even as he felt the terrifying rush of blood flowing out of his wound.

Adrenaline cleared the blur from Noctis’ vision, sharpening his senses. A lethal calm fell over him as he saw what had happened; the leader had broken free of the ice and grabbed Prompto. He scooped the knife off the ground and held it tight.

“You’re gonna pay,” the man said. “You’re gonna pay for bringing him here and killing my guys.”

Prompto tried to pull free, but he couldn’t. He had nowhere to go. The man pressed the knife to Prompto’s throat. Noctis watched Prompto square up to the man regardless. “You shouldn’t have hurt that boy.”

“That boy’s whore mother owes me a debt, and I came to collect! But then you and your friend got involved, and now look where we all are!”

Noctis saw the knife press harder against Prompto’s throat. Something dark and slick rolled down Prompto’s neck. Magic gathered around Noctis, its power filling him until he swelled with it.

Neither the man nor Prompto noticed.

The man laughed, pressing the knife harder against Prompto’s skin. “I’m gonna make this slow.”

Noctis’ bloody fingers pressed against the ground. He forced himself to his feet. Instinct kicked in. Hard-earned, well-trained _instinct._

Nobody hurt his friend.

Nobody.

Noctis stood tall. The magic, a great and powerful tide, coalesced. The air steamed around him. Rain evaporated before it touched him. He gathered a fistful of fire and warped.

Reappearing in front of the man, Noctis’ burning hand caught the attacker. The man’s mouth fell open. Noctis knocked the knife aside and shoved Prompto out of range. Prompto hit the ground, landing hard. His head hit a wall and he stayed down, unconscious.

Good. Noctis didn’t want him to see what would happen next.

Noctis had trained hard for years. For _years_. Partly to defend himself, yes, but also to protect those who needed it.

Like the boy.

Like Prompto.

The man trembled in Noctis’ burning grip. His wide, terrified, pain-filled eyes turned to him. “Wh-what? How are you still alive?”

Noctis tightened his grip on the man’s clothes, even as flames ate at them and scalded the skin below. It bubbled and blistered, the stench of cooked meat filling the air.

Tears and snot ran down the man’s face. “P-p-please don’t hurt me.”

Noctis said nothing. The flames burned hotter.

“No! No! Don’t!” The man howled.

Something shifted in the corner of Noctis’ vision. He looked and saw that the man hadn’t dropped the knife. The man screamed and swung the blade at Noctis.

Instinct and magic took over.

One moment the man was alive.

The next, he wasn’t.

Noctis dropped the charred, smouldering body at his feet. A clatter of metal told him the knife had finally fallen to the ground again too. In the same moment, a chorus of shouts told him that Gladio, the Glaives, and Ignis arrived. Hands and words reached for him. His father’s Glaives surrounded him.

“Help the others,” he commanded, his voice cold. Emotionless.

“Yes, Your Highness.”

Pain whispered in his gut, a promise of what was about to return. The power that had embraced him faded away. The cold, calculating certainty disappeared. He blinked, body relaxing until flesh and sinew grated against the bullet in his side.

He looked at the sight around him.

Prompto, unconscious.

The boy. Bleeding but alive under an awning.

The three attackers.

Two frozen. Dead?

One…

The scent of burnt meat lingered in the air. Nausea swirled in Noctis’ stomach. His whole body trembled, his breath stuttering. Heat burned inside him. He became dizzy. Too dizzy.

He had just murdered someone. Possibly three someones.

Murdered.

He was a murderer.

He couldn’t catch his breath. He coughed, his mouth suddenly full of blood. He swallowed, wincing at the metallic taste threatening to choke him.

“Noct?”

Eyes wide, he looked. Ignis and Gladio were there, standing in front of him.

“What happened?” Ignis asked. He didn’t sound like himself. Ignis was supposed to be calm, collected, unruffled. He was supposed to sound like nothing could ever bother him.

Right now, he sounded horrified.

Horrified at what Noctis had just done?

“I – I –” Noctis tried to raise his hands, tried to grab Ignis and explain. Explain why he’d just murdered three people.

Murdered. The word sent his brain into a tailspin. Noise roared around him. The sight of the alley smeared, his vision fuzzing out.

Someone else grabbed him. “Noct?”

Gladio.

“He’s bleeding,” Gladio said. “Ignis!”

“On it.”

Cold, cold hands pressed against his bullet wound. “It’s their school ties,” Ignis said. “Prompto must have –”

Pain tore through Noctis. His knees gave out. He lungs laboured for air they could not find.

“Hey, hey, I gotcha. I gotcha.” Even Gladio, strong and powerful Gladio, sounded wrong. All wrong. Gladio was never gentle. “It’s over. You’re safe. You’re alright.”

Noise merged into one tide of sound. Noctis plummeted into the darkness, sinking deeper and deeper into the cold waters, carried further and further from the light. The sound of voices disappeared, left behind on the surface. Light faded.

Noctis sank into an endless sea of night.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all so, so much for the wonderful comments on the first chapter ^_^ 
> 
> Let's get to the angst, shall we? XD

“We weren’t looking for trouble, I swear!” Prompto said, the instant he was conscious enough to talk to Ignis and Gladio. They sat at his bedside. He didn’t pause for breath. “We were on our way home and we saw that poor kid. Noct wouldn’t leave him. We couldn’t. And it just… it all… I didn’t –” He pulled his knees up to his chest and wept. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. If I’d been stronger, I could’ve –”

A hand closed around his shoulder. “Prompto, you did what anyone would have done,” Ignis said. “That boy is alive because of your intervention.”

“Mine?” Prompto scoffed. “What did I do?”

“You helped a child in desperate situation,” Ignis said.

“But Noct –”

“Will be fine,” Ignis said. “As will the boy. He and his mother will be placed in protective custody. No one will hurt them again.”

“Good.” Prompto swiped at his eyes. “Sorry,” he said. Crying wasn’t helping his headache at all, but everything seemed so unsteady. His whole world seemed to have come adrift, the peace he’d grown so accustomed to shattered.

“Your parents are on their way,” Gladio said. “We contacted them.”

Prompto stared at him. He couldn’t have heard that right. They were never allowed to step away from work early. “They are?”

Gladio shook his head. “Yeah, I think when King Regis himself makes contact, you drop whatever you’re doing and haul ass to wherever you’re told to go. And if your bosses kick up a fuss, His Majesty is pretty handy at cutting through their bullshit too.”

Prompto’s mouth dropped open. “What?” he squeaked. “King Regis?”

Gladio shrugged. “Yeah…”

Prompto felt the blush burning his cheeks. “No. No way. He didn’t. King Regis spoke to my parents?”

“You did help save Noct’s life,” Ignis said. “He wanted them to know. And, of course, to tell them you needed them.”

“I didn’t do anything. And he saved me.”

“And yet he wouldn’t be here without your help,” Ignis said.

“You helped stem the bleeding,” Gladio added. “It was enough.” He patted Prompto’s back. “You did good, kid.”

Cheeks still glowing, Prompto settled back against his pillows. His head throbbed. He’d been treated by the best doctors in Insomnia, left only with a hefty bruise on the side of his head where he’d connected with the wall in the alleyway. His memory after that was hazy at best. He’d come to in the back of an ambulance, one of the Kingsglaive standing guard over him. He’d wanted to ask what had happened, but his head had hurt so much the thought of speaking was enough to have him vomiting all over the poor paramedic. Not that she seemed too fussed. Maybe that was a familiar occurrence in her line of work. Then... then he remembered an awful smell, like overcooked meat, and he'd vomited all over again. After that, his memory blinked out and the next thing he knew he was in a building, looking up at doctors. He drifted back off to sleep, only for someone to wake him up and ask a whole bunch of questions. _What’s your name? What year is it? Can you name the current monarch?_ And it went on and on like that, sleep/questions/sleep/questions, until hours later when he’d awoken fully to find himself in a hospital bed in the Citadel, Gladio and Ignis at his side.

“Noct’s okay, isn’t he?” Prompto asked.

“He’s sleeping,” Ignis said.

“Which means he’s fine,” Gladio added, voice gruff.

“Are you sure?” Prompto asked.

Ignis nodded. “He’s going to be sore for a few weeks, but there’s no lasting damage.”

“Why aren’t you guys with him?” Prompto asked.

“His father is with him,” Ignis said.

“Oh,” Prompto said. And then, because his concussed head couldn’t let a thought go, he added: “Those guys that we… that Noct stopped… they’re dead, aren’t they?”

“One is,” Gladio said.

“The others will be spending a significant time in prison,” Ignis said. “Not only did they attack a child, they attacked the heir to the throne. Lucis has a specific set of laws set aside for would-be assassins.”

Relief and horror battled inside Prompto. “Noct killed someone.”

“He did what he was trained to do,” Gladio said. “He saw a threat and he took it out.”

“And you’re alive because of that,” Ignis said. “As is that boy.”

“I know.” Prompto’s fingers fiddled with a loose thread on his blanket. He’d never thought about it before, not really. He knew Noctis trained for combat with weapons and magic, but he’d always thought it was for fun, the way people did martial arts training for fitness. Besides, didn’t Noctis have tons and tons of guards? They were supposed to do the hard stuff, weren’t they? Knowing his best friend was literally a trained killer felt wrong. Really, seriously wrong.

What kind of world did they all live in when someone as gentle and caring as _Noct_ had to know how to kill?

_Had to_ kill.

“Spit it out.”

Prompto’s head snapped up. He winced, but met Gladio’s gaze. “Huh?”

Gladio sat back, his arms crossed. “Something’s on your mind. Spit. It. Out.”

No. No way. He couldn’t tell Gladio or Ignis how he felt about this. Not a chance. They’d known Noctis for their entire lives. Gladio _trained_ him. For Prompto to say anything to them about how cruel it was Noctis had to know how to kill people would be wrong. It totally wasn’t his place.

“I just can’t believe the king really called my parents,” Prompto said. “That’s a really big deal.”

Someone knocked on the door. A nurse stuck his head in. “Pardon me, but I believe Mr Argentum’s parents have arrived.”

Prompto watched his parents step in. They were still dressed for travel, their travel cases in their hands. His mom’s dropped to the floor. She burst into tears at the sight of Prompto and rushed across the room, pulling him into her arms.

“I’ve been so worried. So, so worried. I’m sorry. I’m sorry we’ve been away again.”

“It’s okay, Mom.” Prompto hugged her back. “I’m okay.”

His dad came over, placing a gentle hand upon his son’s head. “We’re so proud of you. When His Majesty told us how you’d helped his son, I wanted to shout it from the rooftops.”

Gladio and Ignis silently took their leave, allowing Prompto some much needed time with his parents. Prompto sank into their presence, soaking up the sheer joy of having them home again.

* * *

Noctis stood in a city street, the shops and offices around him stretching to the angry sky above. People surrounded him, screaming for help. Everywhere he turned, men with hidden faces emerged from the shadows, grabbing anyone that came too close. They were pulled away, shrieking, weeping and begging for help.

Magic rushed to Noctis’ aid. Fire, ice, lightning; every spell tore through the men.

It didn’t work. Because it wasn’t just the men anymore. When the people emerged from the darkness, they came for him, punching, kicking, shooting, stabbing. They threw themselves at him, a human tide pressing down on him from all sides.

He couldn’t fight them all off.

Except he could.

Of course he could.

The magic responded to his every desire, to his every whim. Power sang in his veins, in his head, obliterating his fear, burning out his exhaustion.

He didn’t stop. He couldn’t. Huge swathes of people fell beneath him, all of them his enemy.

_Kill them. Kill them all!_

But then the faces changed. No longer were they strangers.

One was Prompto.

“No, no, please, Noct! I don’t want to –”

Too late; Noctis’ magic burnt him alive.

“Stop!”

A hand grabbed Noctis. He lashed out, Thundaga booming out of his fingers.

It tore Ignis apart.

“Bastard!”

Gladio’s roar filled Noctis’ head, but the magic took over before he could stop it, freezing Gladio in a heartbeat.

Noctis backed away, and so did everyone around him.

He could see the fear in their eyes. He felt it, too. Fear of what he could do. Fear of what the magic coursing through him would do if he didn’t hold it in.

_Don’t be afraid. If you have power, you should use it. Crush any who would stand in your way._

No. No, he couldn’t do that.

_Don’t allow the weak to govern you!_

He caught a glimpse of his reflection in a nearby window. He saw himself, his eyes burning orange with terrible power.

_You’re better than them. You’re more powerful than every last one of them._

The voice whispering to him sounded old. Terribly, unimaginably old. And so incredibly angry.

_Kill the whimpering fools. Every last one of them._

Noctis couldn’t stop it. The magic consumed him, killing everyone in his path with terrible, burning flames.

“No!”

“Noctis, wake up!”

He broke free of the nightmare, only to find himself swamped in agony. Hands pressed him down, holding him in place. “Let me go!” he wheezed, trying and failing miserably to push them away. He couldn’t see clearly. Everything above him was a blur of colours. “Let go of me!”

“Your Majesty, you must calm him. He’ll tear the stitches!”

A cool hand pressed against his boiling brow. “Noctis, son, hear me. Calm yourself.”

A shadow stared down at him. “Dad?”

“That’s it. Calm down. Stay still.”

“No, no, I can’t. I have to get away. I have to… I can’t stop. Its, no me! I’m killing everyone and there’s nothing –”

“A nightmare, Noct. Just a bad dream.”

No. No, it wasn’t. It wasn’t a bad dream. It was more than that. So much more. “I’m… I can’t stop it… They died. Everyone. They all died.”

His father’s hand brushed through his hand. “No, they lived. You saved the boy and your friend.”

“I couldn’t stop it!”

“Stop what?”

“Magic. It’s too much. I can’t stop it. I can’t… I didn’t…”

“Shhh,” Regis said. “Hush, Noct.”

“Don’t let me kill anyone else, Dad!”

Regis turned away, speaking to whoever else was in the room. “Yes,” he said. “I think that would be for the best.”

Noctis tried to sit up again, even as agony ripped through his side. He had to make his dad understand. “You can’t let me use magic, Dad! You can’t! I killed them.” Tears sprung to his eyes. Noctis couldn’t help himself. “All of them.”

Regis turned back to him, pressing him into the bed again. Noctis’ vision cleared, and for a moment, he saw the deep, terrifying concern written into his father’s weary features. “It was a nightmare,” Regis said.

“I burned them,” Noctis said. “All of them. And Prompto, Ignis and Gladio. I killed everyone and – ah!” A sharp scratch in his arm distracted him. He looked, seeing a needle sticking out. He stared up at the person jabbing him. “What are you –” Words failed him. The world shifted around him, losing what little cohesion it had. Colours and sounds blurred into utter nonsense. He sank into his pillows, drifted away from the pain eating at him.

The last thing Noctis felt before he descended into drug induced sleep was the sensation of a hand brushing through his hair.

* * *

The sun had set by the time the medics agreed to release Prompto. On the way out of the Citadel'shospital wing, Prompto and his parents stopped off at Noctis' room. His mom insisted he couldn’t leave without seeing his friend, even though he still felt uneasy about everything that had happened. Emotions swirled within him. Guilt at having forced Noctis to fight. Horror that the fight ended the way it had. Joy that they'd saved the boy. Relief Noctis hadn't died. Fear of what his friend was capable of beneath the smiles and hard work at school. It was all so confusing, and Prompto's headache didn't thank him for it.

"Go on," Mom said at Noctis' door. "See him before we go."

Swallowing his reluctance, Prompto left his parents in the hall to consult with the doctor and entered Noctis’ room. He expected to find Ignis or Gladio. Maybe he’d even bump into King Regis himself. Prompto blanched at the thought. However, he found Noctis alone. Fast asleep, paler than normal, his black hair splayed across the pillow, he had a frown on his face, as if sleeping so deeply took an immense about of concentration.

Prompto released a huge sigh. While he was ecstatic to see his friend alive and healing, he couldn’t deny the relief he felt, knowing he wouldn’t have to try and hold a conversation with Noctis right now. Because how would he even start something like that?

_Hey, Noct. Thanks for saving me. By the way, I really can’t deal with the idea that you murdered someone even though I’d be dead if you hadn’t._

Or…

_How does it feel to kill someone? Did you mean to do it? Would you do it again if you had to?_

“Stop it,” he told himself. “Noct is my best friend!”

Prompto rubbed his aching head. Guilt churned in his stomach. It was no good. No matter how hard he tried to focus on the Noctis he knew, the more he remembered the other side to his friend, the side that was well-trained royalty, capable of wielding incredible power.

Spotting a chair beside Noctis’ bed, Prompto sat down in it. He reached for his friend’s hand and took it in his own, feeling the heat of his own body seeping into his friend’s chilled fingers. Noctis showed no reaction at all.

“Thanks,” Prompto said, wincing at the tearful wobble in his voice. “Thanks for saving me, Noct. I – um – I know you probably can’t hear me, so I’m just gonna say it.” He sucked in a deep breath. “I think I need some time away. Just to get everything figured out in my own head, okay? I’m sorry.” He squeezed Noctis’ hand. “Rest up, okay? I… I guess I’ll see you at school when you’re all fixed up. I’ll try and get everything figured out by then, I promise. I just need some time.”

Noctis drew a deep breath. His eyebrows knitted together, his eyelids cracking open. His pupils were so blown, his eyes looked completely black. Noctis tried to say something, but he was too groggy.

“Shhh,” Prompto said. “Go back to sleep.”

“Nnno I –” Noctis battled to open his eyes, but Prompto could see it was a losing battle.

“Yeah, sleep,” Prompto said, willing Noctis to pass out again. “You need rest.”

“Prom –” But the rest of his name was lost as Noctis finally sank back into sleep.

Gently as he could, Prompto pulled his hand back. He stood. He needed to go. “Sleep well, Noct.”

Prompto wiped the lingering tears from his eyes and hurried out the room. It was time for him to go home


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks again for so many amazing comments. You are all making me smile so much! It really makes my day to know you're enjoying this story so much.

Someone nearby was humming. The sound of their deep voice sounded so familiar, the mellow waltz a song from his earliest memories. He turned towards the sound, only for the music to stop.

“Noctis?”

He fought to open his eyes. He found himself in bed, the sheets tucked up to his stomach, arms resting over the top.

A warm hand rested on his head. “Good morning, son.”

He looked up and saw his dad smiling down at him. Noctis frowned. What was dad doing in his apartment?

“Dad, why are you here?”

“I’m not sure you know where ‘here’ is, son.”

Noctis looked around, absorbing the grand architecture.

Oh.

The Citadel.

Hospital wing. He glared at the familiar ceiling. How many days had he been trapped here as a child?

“Noct? Talk to me.”

Noctis’ memory returned. He moved to sit up, only for pain to render him motionless. Sweat peppered his forehead. “Is everyone alright?” he gasped, falling back. “Prompto and the boy?”

“They’re both fine,” Regis said. “We sent Prompto home with his parents yestrday. And the boy is healing well. His mother is with him. They won’t be going back to where they were before.”

“Good.”

“And I think the young fellow would very much like to thank you, when you’re up to it,” Regis said. He laughed. “I think you have a fan.”

Noctis blushed. “Okay,” he said.

His hand trailed down to his side, to where the bullet had been.

“Leave that,” Regis said, intercepting Noctis’ hand. “The doctors already had to redo your stitches once. I don’t think they’ll thank you for a third course. The bullet chipped your rib and damaged your lung, but you’re healing well.”

“I killed them,” Noctis whispered.

“Him,” Regis said. “The two you froze were saved, although both are looking at amputations.” He brushed a hand over Noctis’ hair. “I’m sorry you weren’t safe to walk the streets of Insomnia. I am so sorry you found yourself in that situation.”

Hearing it from someone else made it all so much more real. Tears gathered in his eyes. A sob escaped him. “I didn’t have to. I should’ve done it differently. I didn’t have to burn that man alive like that.” Bile rose up this throat. He swallowed down the hot, acidic tide.

“Noct, why do we use magic? Why do we even have the crystal?”

“To protect Lucis.”

“And her citizens,” Regis said. “And that’s what you did. You saw a child being attacked and you stepped in before something worse could happen. And when that man tried to hurt Prompto, you stopped it.”

“Stopped it? Dad, I annihilated him!”

“Would it help if I told you he was a career criminal? Someone wanted in connection to crimes too foul to speak of?”

Noctis shook his head. It didn’t matter if the guy was a serial killer. He’d still _killed_ someone. Maybe he’d done it for the ‘right’ reason, but it didn’t feel good. A strange, empty place echoed inside him now, a place where everything had been so normal before. Even him, with his title and his duties, had a sense of normalcy. Not now. He’d burnt that down as effectively as he’d burnt that man to death. He pressed a hand to his mouth, but it was no good. Thankfully, his dad had a bowl on standby.

“Sorry,” Noctis said once his stomach finished emptying itself.

“Don’t worry,” Regis said, rubbing his back.

A nurse appeared moments later to whisk it away.

“Better out than in,” Regis said cheerily.

Noctis didn’t even have the energy to groan.

Regis passed Noctis a glass of water. Noctis sipped, the water’s coolness soothing his burning throat. He passed the empty glass back and settled onto his pillows again. He just wanted to sleep. He wanted to forget. He wanted not to feel the strangeness of knowing he’d taken a life, that someone was dead because of him.

Even if that someone had done terrible things.

Regis held Noctis’ hands in his. “Life is a bitter, ugly thing sometimes. I wish we could live in terms of good versus evil, but that simply isn’t how it works.” Regis wiped Noctis’ cheeks. “I am so sorry this happened to you so young. You’re training for a purpose. This day was destined to come, but I wish it hadn’t had to come so soon.”

Noctis leaned into his father’s hand. “I know,” he said. “You told me. Gladio told me. Ignis told me. But I hate it.”

“Good,” Regis said. “I don’t want you to enjoy killing.”

“I promise I never, ever will.”

“Sweet child,” Regis said softly. He almost sounded sad. “So young.”

Noctis closed his eyes. “Am not.”

“Sleep,” Regis said, stroking Noctis’ cheek. “It will get better. I swear it.”

“Don’t want nightmares.”

The faintest tingle of magic washed over Noctis. The warmest, softest sleep washed over him, pulling him down into its gentle, dreamless embrace.

“No nightmares,” Regis said. He sat back, releasing a breath. It had been many years since he’d had to sit at his son’s bedside like this, and the memories of the previous time were not pleasant. He squeezed Noctis’ hand, wishing not for the first time that an easier path could be set down in front of him.

* * *

Two days crept by. Noctis slept through most of it, and when he didn’t, he brooded fiercely. Or, he did until Gladio finally had enough on the third morning after the attack.

“Listen, I get it. You’ve got blood on your hands, and it’s horrible, even if it was a matter of life and death. But are you really gonna sit there and let a dead guy ruin your life?”

Noctis stared at him. “Ruin my life?”

“You’re acting like the world’s ended.”

Words failed Noctis. And even if the things he wanted to say would come out, Gladio probably didn’t want to hear about the guilt Noctis felt about killing someone, or the relief that he’d done it and saved lives. It was all too much. There were too many feelings tugging on him.

All he wanted was to talk to Prompto, to make sure his friend really was okay, but –

“Well?” Gladio demanded. “Prompto and that kid would be dead if you hadn’t done it.”

“I know that,” Noctis said.

“That’s what you need to focus on,” Gladio said. “The positive outcome. Yeah, you took a life, but he would’ve taken three. And his goons are gonna be spending the rest of their days in jail where they belong. So quit it with the guilty act and accept you did what had to be done.” He reached out, ruffling Noctis’ hair. “I’m proud of you, kid. What you did was tough, but it was the right thing to do.”

Gladio was right. Noctis knew he was right. And, honestly, brooding was exhausting. He sighed, carefully sitting up. “Okay,” he said.

Gladio stared at him. “Okay?” he asked, pulling his hand away.

“Yeah,” Noctis said. “Okay. I’ll… try.”

“You will?” Gladio peered at him. “You feeling alright?” He put the back of his hand on Noctis’ forehead. “Nope, not running a fever.”

Noctis pushed him away. “I know you’re right. It’s just hard. And…” He trailed off.

“And what?”

“It’s Prompto,” Noctis said, glancing at his phone on the bedside cabinet. “Have you heard from him?”

“No.”

Noctis’ resolve wobbled. What if he’d really, really freaked Prompto out and ruined their friendship forever?

“He doesn’t get to see his parents that often, right?”

“Yeah…”

“So he’s probably making the most of the time he has with them, right?”

Noctis longed to pull his knees to his chest, but his wound wouldn’t allow for it. “Right.”

“Alright then.” Gladio reached into a bag at his feet and pulled out one of Noctis’ school textbooks. “Ignis wants me to make sure you haven’t forgotten anything.”

“School work? Seriously?”

“You can’t fall behind.”

“I could just go back to sleep.”

“Later,” Gladio said. “First, explain atomic structure to me.”

“Why, ‘cause you failed the test when you were at school?”

“Keep it up, Noct. You’ll pay for it when you’re training again.”

Sighing dramatically, Noctis gave in and did his homework.

Although maybe he paused a few times to send messages to Prompto.

* * *

“We’re gonna head out, sweetie, are you ready?” Mom called up the stairs.

“Yeah, just coming!” Prompto called back.

He glanced at the phone sitting on his desk as it flashed to life once again. Another message from Noctis. Another one Prompto fully intended to ignore, no matter how much the guilt ate at him.

He wasn’t ready yet.

He grabbed his coat and his camera, and left his phone in his room. He headed downstairs. His parents greeted him at the front door.

“Tell us if you don’t feel well, okay?” Mom said as he slipped his shoes on.

“I will,” Prompto said.

“Don’t push yourself,” Dad said. “We’ll take a walk, but if you don’t feel up to lunch, you just tell us and we’ll come straight home.”

“Okay, I will.”

“Anywhere in particular you want to go for photos?” Mom asked.

“Nope. Let’s just walk and I’ll see what inspires me.”

They stepped out. Sandwiched between his parents, Prompto walked along the street with them, laughing at their jokes and listening to their tales of work related woe. The chilly fresh air felt wonderful in his lungs after so many days cooped up inside. The bruises had faded, and the headache lessened with each passing day. Sure, he needed sunglasses to keep the sharp light at bay, but he’d been desperate to get outside and nothing was going to stop him. Not a headache, not his guilt. He and his parents were going to walk one of his favourite running routes, then stop in a restaurant for a late lunch. Basically, they were all acting like they were on vacation, and Prompto didn’t want to waste a minute of it.

“Have you heard from the prince?” Dad asked as they strolled along the river.

“Yeah,” Prompto said. It wasn’t a lie.

“He’s feeling better?” Mom asked.

“Yeah,” Prompto said. Sure, he was guessing, but Noctis had to be feeling better if he was capable of messaging. Right? Prompto nodded to himself. Right.

“When do you think you’ll see him?” Dad asked.

“Oh, uh…” Prompto scrambled for an answer. “Back at school. I mean, he’s still at the Citadel, and there’s no way I’m gonna be able to find my way around that place. Imagine if I got lost. I’d probably be arrested for trespassing and thrown in jail or something.”

“I’m sure someone would show you around,” Mom said.

“I don’t wanna bother him. He did get shot and –” Painfully aware he was rambling, Prompto reined it in. “So, yeah, school. When he’s better.”

“Ugh, school,” Dad said, winking.

Prompto laughed. “Right?”

Dad threw his arm around Prompto’s shoulders. “We’ll have to make the most of our royally mandated vacation then, won’t we?”

Pushing his guilt away, Prompto gave his dad his sunniest smile. “Yeah.”

* * *

“Are you certain you feel up to this, Noct?” Ignis asked.

Noctis looked at Ignis. “I have to,” he said. “It’s my duty.”

Ignis glanced at the doctor who had accompanied him into the room. “This won’t cause more damage?”

“No,” the doctor said. “But I’m sure His Highness will be grateful to get back to bed once he’s finished.” She walked over to the chair and set about preparing another dose of painkillers.

“See?” Noctis said to Ignis. “Nothing to worry about.”

“I know you aren’t feeling up to this,” Ignis said. “His Majesty agrees with me. I spoke to him during this morning’s council meeting.”

“Dad’s okay?” Noctis asked.

“Worried about you, of course, and apologises for not being here, but he can’t avoid the anniversary ceremonies.”

“I know.” And he felt bad. He supported Dad through all of them since he’d been old enough to talk, even if he’d been known to doze off in his earlier years. He didn’t like the thought of his dad having to go through all those ceremonies alone.

“You’ve chosen a particularly dramatic way of avoiding them this year,” Ignis said.

Noctis carefully swung his legs over the edge of the bed. “I’d rather be there than here.”

“I believe you,” Ignis said, taking Noctis by the arm and helping him to his feet. “But I still think it’s too soon for visitors. Gladio told me you slept through lunch.”

“I’m feeling a lot better than I did.” He hoped the effort of being upright wasn’t too obvious in his voice.

“Still,” Ignis said, helping Noctis shuffle slowly across the hospital room to a chair that would be far more appropriate for meeting guests. “This could wait.”

“No, it can’t.”

“I can see I’m not going to get through to you on this.”

“No, you’re not.” Noctis locked his eyes on the chair. Not far now.

“The mother’s name is Celeste, and the boy is Peter,” Ignis said.

“Got it.” Noctis settled himself into the chair. His body wasn’t too pleased about being upright, but the doctor had her syringe ready and loaded to deliver pain relief. After that, Noctis could meet the boy and his mother. And after _that_ , he could sleep the rest of the day away.

“Ready?” the doctor asked, her voice gentle.

“Yeah, ready,” Noctis said.

“Sharp scratch,” she said, far too jolly.

Noctis winced but said nothing. Moments later, the pain washed out of him. He relaxed into the chair, already feeling better.

“I’ll send your visitors in,” the doctor said. “But it’s only for five minutes.”

“I’m alright,” Noctis said.

The doctor patted him on the arm. “Believe me when I say that’s the medicine talking.”

She headed out. Noctis heard her speaking. Ignis moved across the room and took a seat at a small table. His thoughts turned to Prompto again. Noctis hoped his friend was alright, that the head injury wasn’t worse than expected… No, that wasn’t why his friend hadn’t been in contact. Melancholy weighed heavily upon him. What if he’d lost his best friend? Prompto was right, he was just an ordinary citizen. He didn’t deserve to get caught up in such violence. What if he’d been so scared, he never wanted to –  

The boy and his mother, Peter and Celeste, walked in. Peter looked far better than before, clad in clothes that were far more suitable for the time of year. He was clean, his injuries healing, and there was a sparkle in his eyes that Noctis hadn’t seen the other day. Good. No child should ever have to go through what he’d experienced. Hopefully now, his life would improve.

Peter bowed and Celeste curtsied. “Your Highness,” they said.

“Thank you for coming,” Noctis said, doing his best to channel his father’s regal demeanour. “I hope your stay here has been comfortable.”

“It’s been wonderful,” Celeste said. “I don’t know how I’ll ever thank you for everything you’ve done for us. You and your friend. We wanted to thank him as well, but we were told he’s returned home.” She rummaged in a small bag and pulled out an envelope. “Would you be able to give this to him?” she held it out to Noctis. “I need him to know how grateful I am. Both of us.”

Noctis took the card. “I’ll make sure he gets it, I promise.”

“Thank you, Your Highness.”

Noctis looked to Peter. “You’re feeling better?”

The boy nodded. It wasn’t the enthusiastic movement of a young excitable child. He had the calm restraint of someone far, far older. But he smiled and spoke. “Yes, thank you. You saved my life. And now we don’t have to go back to that part of the city. They told us we’re going to live uptown.” He looked at his feet. “I can’t wait to go back to school.”

“Peter loves to learn,” Celeste said, ruffling her son’s hair. “He’s such a clever boy.”

“Do you know what you want to be when you grow up?” Noctis asked.

“Yeah, one of the Kingsglaive!” Peter suddenly bubbled with enthusiasm. “That way, I can look out for you and protect you!”

Celeste laughed. “He’s quite determined, Your Highness.”

“Well, alright, but it’s gonna be tough,” Noctis said. He leaned forward as far as he could. “You’ll have to train hard and follow orders.”

“I can do that!”

“You don’t follow my orders,” Celeste said.

Peter stared at her. “That’s ‘cause you’re my mom.”

“Thanks!”

“Oh, that’s a shame,” Noctis said. “Following your mother’s orders will be good practice for doing what your commanding officers will want you to do when you become a Kingsglaive.”

Peter frowned. “Seriously?”

“Seriously,” Noctis said. Only years of lessons kept his face completely straight.

“Sounds good to me,” Celeste said.

“Fine,” Peter said. He looked up at her. “But only because Prince Noctis said so.”

Celeste grinned. It took years off her face. Noctis realised she was probably only in her late twenties.

“Good boy,” Noctis said. “Something tells me you’ll be great at it.”

“I’ll do my best,” Peter said, his hands curling into fists. Determination shone in his eyes. “I’ll be the best Kingsglaive there ever was!”

There came a knock on the door. One of the Citadel’s drivers stepped in. He removed his cap and bowed. “I believe my passengers are here,” he said.

“Time for us to go,” Celeste said. “Come on, Peter. Let’s go see our new home.”

“Take care,” Noctis said to them. “And please, if you ever have any trouble, contact me. I’ll do whatever I can to help.”

Celeste nodded. “Thank you. Thank you so much.”

“You’re welcome.”

Peter looked at Noctis. “Those men… they’re never going to find us, are they?”

“Never,” Noctis said. “There’s no chance of that.”

The boy nodded. “Okay.” He smiled up at Noctis, revealing the gaps in his teeth. “See you!”

Peter and Celeste left with the driver. Noctis slumped in his chair.

“That was very nicely done,” Ignis said.

Noctis held out the card to him. “Could you make sure Prompto gets that?”

Ignis took it. “Of course. You still haven’t heard from him?”

“No. Have you?”

“No. But that’s not unexpected.”

Noctis thought it was, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he shuffled back to his bed and grabbed his phone off the nightstand. He thumbed through to his messages. Still nothing. He sent Prompto a message about the card, then put the phone back in its place. He sank into the bed, a huge yawn tugging on his chest. He winced, his wound not really up to that kind of movement, even with the painkillers swimming in his veins. But whatever the doctor had given him, it seemed its extra effects were finally kicking in. He lowered himself onto the mattress, not even bothering to take off his slippers or reach for his blanket.

“Noct, maybe you should –”

Whatever Ignis had to say fell on deaf ears. Noct was already fast asleep.

* * *

“It’s really bothering him,” Gladio said as Ignis drove downtown. “Prompto not messaging him.”

“I know,” Ignis said. “But I truly believe it’s only because Prompto is spending time with his family. I’m sure having his parents in town is a big distraction for him.”

“I hope that’s what it is,” Gladio said. “But something was up in the hospital the other day. Prompto wasn’t telling us something.”

“It would have been a highly traumatic event for him to witness, even if he didn’t see Noctis actually kill his attacker,” Ignis said.

“If the kid can’t handle stuff like that, maybe their friendship should end now,” Gladio said. “Because we’re a country at war, and someday Noctis might have to go out there and do far worse than what happened in that alleyway. If Prompto can’t handle it, he should get out now.”

“That would be hugely unfair on them both,” Ignis said. “You’re forgetting how young they both are. Give Prompto time. He’ll come around I’m sure.”

“Are you gonna talk to him?” Gladio asked.

“Perhaps,” Ignis said.

They arrived at Prompto’s home a short while later. Ignis grabbed the card from Celeste and Peter and left the car. He went to the front door and knocked.

No one answered.

Ignis could see that the house was dark. It seemed unlikely that anyone was home. Disappointed, for he desperately wanted to fix whatever was wrong between Prompto and Noctis, Ignis posted the card through the door and returned to the car.

“No good?” Gladio asked as he returned to the driver’s seat.

“Nobody’s home,” Ignis said.

Gladio sighed. “Shame.”

“Indeed,” Ignis said.

“They’ll figure it out,” Gladio said abruptly.

Ignis glanced at him.

Gladio squirmed. “What? I kinda like the kid.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, we all need one of Gladio's stone cold doses of reality, don't we? ;)
> 
> Also, my headcanon for Prompto's parents is that they are very well meaning people who do their best but have really terrible jobs that keep them away from home more often than they want. I can't deal with anything darker than that. 
> 
> Oh, and Regis is humming Sunset Waltz because the first time I heard that in the game, I knew I was in love. Such a stunning piece of music.
> 
> Final chapter should be up tomorrow! 
> 
> Thanks again everyone <3


	4. Chapter 4

A week later, Noctis sat in his apartment, staring at his phone for the one hundredth time that hour, wondering if Prompto was ever going to message him back.

“Stare at that thing any harder, Noct, and it’ll explode,” Gladio said from behind his book.

“Something wrong?” Ignis asked.

“Prompto,” Noctis said. “He’s not… I still haven’t heard from him.” He looked at Ignis. “Did you take Celeste’s card to him?”

“Yes, I posted it at the house,” Ignis said. He disappeared into the kitchen. Moments later, Noctis heard the oven open. The rich scent of freshly baked pastries wafted out. “And before you ask, I definitely went to the correct house.”

“Maybe he broke his phone,” Gladio said. “I’ve seen him. He’s kinda clumsy.”

Noctis leaned back against the sofa’s pillows, taking care not to tug his healing wound. “Maybe.”

“And he did have a concussion,” Ignis added, bringing in a pot of steaming herbal tea and a plateful of croissants. He poured two cups. The rest went into a flask. “It’s possible using such a device would cause him headaches.”

“Oh, and your dad called his parents. I think that blew them all away,” Gladio said.

“They’re probably enjoying some family time before his parents have to return to work,” Ignis said. “I wouldn’t fret, Noct.”

“Yeah, maybe.” Noctis willed his phone to light up, for a message to appear. Nothing. He tossed the device aside and forced himself to look away.

Ignis handed him a cup of herbal tea. “Drink that. It will help with the healing.”

Too frustrated to argue, Noctis took the cup. He sipped timidly, only to discover to his surprise that the brew was sweet, smoky and delicious. The tea accompanied his own brewing. He must’ve really scared Prompto. Upset him. Hurt him, even. After all, the only reason he had a concussion was because Noctis had shoved him aside into a solid wall. Maybe Prompto realised being friends with the future King of Lucis was too much trouble. What if their friendship was over? What if Noctis would have to return to the old days, when he’d spent his time at school quiet and alone?

He didn’t want that. He didn’t want it at all. The loneliness of it twisted his heart.

But if that was what Prompto wanted…

“Noct!” Gladio called.

Noctis looked up. From the sound of it, Gladio had been calling out to him for a while. “What?”

“Reports,” Gladio said. He dumped a hefty folder on the sofa next to him.

“Seriously?”

“You can’t get behind,” Gladio said.

“Isn’t Ignis supposed to be the one who makes me read this stuff?”

“Sure, but he left.”

“Left?” Noctis looked around, only to see that Ignis definitely wasn’t there. “When?”

“About five minutes ago.”

“Oh.” He reached for the file, taking care not to irritate his injury. “I didn’t hear him leave.”

“You alright?” Gladio asked.

“Fine,” Noctis said.

Gladio snorted but said nothing. Noctis elected to ignore him. Mug of tea in one hand, Noctis sat back and read the reports.

And if he had to retrieve his phone just so he could check his phone for messages every five minutes, so be it.

* * *

His parents had just finished putting dinner on the table when the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it,” Prompto said, getting up from the chair and heading to the door. Whoever it was, he hoped they wouldn’t stop by for long. His parents had to return to work tomorrow, and he wanted to make the most of their company. Who knew when he’d see them again.

Prompto opened the door and found Ignis on the other side. “Oh. Hey, Ignis.”

Ignis nodded his head. “Forgive me if I’m intruding, but I wanted to stop by and drop off a few things.” He held out a small white bag. The rich scent of freshly baked croissants wafted out, and Prompto could make out the top of a silver and black flask. “Don’t worry about returning the flask. I have a spare.”

“Um… okay. Thanks.” Prompto’s stomach gurgled at the prospect of eating whatever it was Ignis had brought over.

“Are you feeling better?” Ignis asked.

“Yeah. Much better, thanks. Back to school tomorrow.”

“That is a relief. I will let Noct know. He’s been worried about you.”

Shame and embarrassment flooded through Prompto. He knew he should’ve contacted Noctis. While the messages hadn’t been so frequent in the past couple of days, they’d still gone unread like all the others. He just… every time he went to read one, he remembered that the Prince of Lucis was a trained and able killer.

“He’s okay?” Prompto blurted out, aware an awkward silence had fallen between them.

“Noct is healing well. I’m sure he’d rather be at school with you tomorrow, but he’ll need a few more days. In fact, if you’d be so kind, his teachers will have prepared his next set of assignments. Could you drop them off at the apartment tomorrow?”

“I, um, yeah.” The agreement popped out before he could think of a valid excuse.

“Thank you. I’ll leave you to your evening.” Ignis turned and walked away.

“Wait! Ignis!”

Ignis looked back. “Yes?”

“Tell Noct I’m sorry for not replying. It’s just –”

“You’ve been very busy with your family,” Ignis replied. “Quite understandable.”

“Uh, right.” Guilt churned in Prompto’s stomach. “See you later.”

Ignis nodded and walked away. Prompto closed the door and returned to his parents.

“Everything alright?” his mom asked, smiling gently.

“Yeah,” Prompto said. His voice wobbled.

Mom frowned. “Are you sure?”

Prompto dropped down in his chair, dropping the bag on the table. “I don’t know what to do.”

“About what?” His dad asked, peering into the bag.

Prompto blinked hard. “About Noct,” he said.

“Still can’t believe my son’s friends with Prince Noctis,” Dad muttered with a smile.

Prompto stared at his dinner. It was curry, one of his favourites, but his stomach felt too heavy to take it.

“Is this because of what happened last week?” Mom asked, coming around to wrap her arm around Prompto’s shoulder.

“Yeah. It’s like I don’t really know him.”

“Because of what he did?” Mom asked.

“He killed someone!” Was no one else bothered by that? Was he the only one? Was he over-reacting?

“And that scares you.” Mom didn’t ask. She surmised.

Prompto nodded.

“Because he had to,” Dad said.

“Did he?” Prompto asked. “Wasn’t there another way?”

“Perhaps,” Mom said. “But things happen fast in a situation like that. He did what he was trained to do.”

“Like his father before him,” Dad said. “You’re too young to remember what King Regis used to be like. The stories about him are insane. What do they call those weapons of his?” He clicked his fingers like that would help his mind tick over. “Nope, no good, can’t remember it, but the man was a force to be reckoned with.”

“And given the times we live in, it makes sense that he’d ensure his son could take care of himself,” Mom said.

“But he’s _Noct,_ ” Prompto said. “He’s my best friend who falls asleep at the back of a class if he’s bored. He’s the guy I always beat at videogames because he sucks so hard at first person shooters, so he makes me play RPGs so we can work together instead. He’s the one who won’t eat vegetables or fruit no matter how hard Ignis tries to hide it in his food.”

“He’s still all those things,” Mom said.

“Yeah, of course.”

“You miss him, don’t you?” Dad said. He winked at Prompto. “Your moping hasn’t gone unnoticed this week.”

“Moping?” Prompto protested. “I don’t mope! Noct mopes! He’s –”

His parents showed a knowing look.

“You need to talk to him,” Mom said, giving him a squeeze. She returned to her seat. “It’s the only way you’ll be able to move on, one way or the other.”

Prompto frowned at her.

She shrugged. “You’ll either find a way past this with him or without him. You have to do what’s best for you. But your dad and I can’t fix that for you. Only the two of you can do that.”

Prompto sighed. “Okay. I’ll go after school tomorrow.”

“Wonderful,” Mom said. “Now, eat up. You’ll need your strength to get back into your running.”

* * *

Prompto was up early to say goodbye to his parents. He hugged them goodbye, promised to take care of himself, wished them luck, and saw them off. He worked hard to keep his tears at bay, a familiar pang of loneliness thrumming in his heart.

Once they left, he gathered his things and took a long, slow walk to school. When he reached the gates, he kept his head down, refusing to acknowledge the stares or whispers that followed him across the playground and into the building. It was weird being back and Noctis not being there with him. Prompto took his seat at the back of class and ignored the looks the other students gave him. He really didn’t want to be the centre of attention right now. Or ever, really. But he could tell the entire class, or maybe the entire school, wanted him to tell them exactly what had happened.

He wouldn’t be telling anyone anything.

The day was a long, hard slog. Teachers kept pulling him aside, asking if he was alright, telling him he could take time out if he needed it, that the school counsellor was available to him at any time… While it was nice that they were all so concerned, all he really wanted was to be left alone. He even considered skipping out on the rest of the day at lunch, except he had to gather Noctis’ assigned work from every teacher. Doing that meant he had to endure questions about his best friend’s condition. He managed to answer politely, promising Noctis was fine, even as the knowledge that he hadn’t spoken to Noctis for over a week gnawed at his insides.

The school day went on and on. Students who never, ever spoke to him came up to him, demanding answers about Noctis. None of them cared about him; they just wanted the gossip. Prompto ignored them as best he could, but it was hard coping with everything on his own. He found himself staring at Noctis’ empty chair more than once during the day.

He really, really missed his friend. He missed him so much it hurt. But still…

Noctis had…

Prompto shook his head. He couldn’t keep going around and around with the same thoughts. By forcing him to take Noctis’ homework to him, Ignis had taken the choice away from him. Scared though he was, Prompto knew it was a good thing. One way or another, he was going to talk this whole thing out with Noctis today. He couldn’t carry on like this, thinking himself in an ever-tightening circle.

At the end of the day, carrying a tote bag full of work for Noctis, Prompto left the school, eager to be free of it for a day.

Although maybe _not_ so eager for what he was heading towards. Even if it did have to be done. Because Noctis was his friend. He was. He _was._

At least no one was there to tell him to stop dragging his feet as he plodded to Noctis’ apartment. Just because he knew he needed to talk to his friend (and wanted to, it didn’t mean he was in any hurry to have what would probably be a terrifying conversation. What if Noctis was angry at him for not responding to his messages? What if he didn’t care about what he’d done? What if…

“Aaaargh!” Prompto cried out at the sky. “Stop going around in circles!”

People stared at him. Mothers pulled their young children away.

Blushing, Prompto decided maybe dragging his feet wasn’t such a good idea after all. He picked up the pace and dashed onwards to Noctis’ apartment.

* * *

The chime of the doorbell roused Noctis from his accidental nap. He’d spent the entire day working on all his assignments, knowing he had more to come. Ignis would’ve seen to that. He couldn’t fall behind at school, even if he had been shot.

Ignis went to open the door while Noctis carefully pulled himself up. He placed a hand against his side, the pain sharp but not as bad as it had been. He felt significantly better.

And he was really ready to get back to school.

Not that he would openly admit that to Ignis or Gladio, but he was really, _really_ bored of staring at his apartment’s walls. He was tired of not feeling well. He was tired of being under observation constantly. He’d known Ignis long enough to know when the man was reporting back to Dad. Noctis scrubbed his face, hoping to rub some health into his features. Maybe if he looked better, Ignis would at least let him take a walk around the block. The closest he’d been to fresh air was the balcony. It wasn’t enough.

Voices murmured from the doorway. Who was it? Noctis couldn’t hear well enough. He pushed himself to his feet and shuffled towards the hall, yawning and stretching as much as his wound would allow. He turned the corner and saw who his guest was. His heart lifted at the sight.

“Prompto!”

His friend gave him a small smile. “Hi, Noct.” He had a hefty tote bag in his hands, full of books and papers. “Present for you.”

“Why don’t you both go into the lounge?” Ignis said, stepping aside to allow Prompto into the apartment proper. “I have to step out for a few things.”

“You do?” Prompto asked, his voice high.

Noctis frowned. Why was Prompto so nervous?

“I trust you’ll both behave,” Ignis said, slipping his shoes on. “I’ll be back later.” And with that, he left.

“Come on,” Noctis said, leading Prompto to the lounge. “We can play games.”

Prompto slipped his shoes off and followed. “The teachers hope you’re feeling better. I think they’re missing their best student.”

“Great, thanks,” Noctis said. He waved at the table. “Add it to the pile.”

Prompto laughed nervously. He dropped the heavy bag. “Don’t blame me, I’m just the messenger.”

“Is something wrong?” Noctis asked. “You’re acting weird. Well, weirder than normal.”

“Is it that obvious?” Prompto said, rubbing the back of his head.

Noctis shifted his weight, placing a hand on the table. He cleared his throat. “Wanna tell me what it is that’s bothering you so much?”

Prompto sucked in a huge breath, squeezed his eyes shut and tipped his head back. “Okay, I can do this.”

Noctis watched his friend gather himself. He ignored the flutters in his stomach.

“The other week,” Prompto said, dropping his head and opening his eyes. “When all this happened.”

“Yeah?” Noctis really didn’t want to drag whatever this was out of Prompto. He didn’t have the energy.

“You… I mean… I know why you did it. But I’m struggling with it.”

Noctis stared at him. “You mean me killing that man?”

Prompto’s eyes shifted all over the room but wouldn’t settle on Noctis. “Yeah. It’s – Aargh!” He threw up his hands. “Fine! I’ll spit it out. It’s like even though I knew you had to train, I never thought it all the way through. I didn’t think ‘oh, hey, one day I’m totally gonna see Noct kill a guy even though he’s literally training to do exactly that’.”

“Did you see it?” Noctis asked, suddenly afraid he hadn’t shielded Prompto from that horror.

“No, not… not _it_. But I saw everything before it. I never, ever knew you could do that. I figured it was all ceremonial. The magic and the fighting. Stuff you learned ‘cause you’re a prince, not ‘cause you’d ever actually… ever have to…”

“Kill people?” Noctis said heavily. He needed to sit down.

“I’m sorry,” Prompto said. “I know it’s not fair, but it’s like I met a totally different you. It’s weird to me.” His eyes finally met Noctis’. “You scared me.”

“Because of what I did,” Noctis said, sliding into a chair at the table. He nodded for Prompto to do the same.

“Yeah,” Prompto said, sitting opposite Noctis. “I’m sorry. I know you’re still you, it’s just, you’re also the you who can kill people. With magic. Which doesn’t feel like the you I know.” He ran is fingers over the tabletop, tracing invisible patterns on the surface. “I guess I’m struggling to put both together.”

“There’s no me without magic,” Noctis said. “There’s no me without any of that stuff.”

“I know, I know, it’s all part of your family’s heritage, but –” 

“You wish I hadn’t done it?” Noctis asked.

“I dunno.” Prompto stilled his hands. “Kind of, because I really hate the idea of someone like you having to kill. Does that make sense? Am I making any sense? I don’t even know anymore. It’s all going around my head in circles.”

“It makes sense,” Noctis said. “I wish it was that simple too. I’m not supposed to have to kill the people of my own city, but if I hadn’t, we wouldn’t be here right now, and that little boy and his mom wouldn’t be safe either. You read the card they sent, right?”

“Yeah,” Prompto said. “It was really nice. I’m so glad they’re okay.”

“I’d do it again,” Noctis said. He waited for Prompto to meet his eyes. “I’d never, ever, let you die if there was something I could do to stop it. And, because of who I am, I can do that.” He squeezed his right hand into a fist. “I won’t apologise for that.”

“Can we maybe not be in that kind of situation ever again?” Prompto asked.

Noctis looked at him. “You don’t have to be.”

Prompto looked stunned. “You mean… don’t you wanna hang out anymore?” His lips quivered. “I know I didn’t message you for a whole week, but –”

“No! That’s not it,” Noctis said. “But I am who – no, I am what I am. I don’t have a choice. It’s my duty. And that means sometimes I might have to do what I did that day again.”

Prompto shuddered.

Noctis pressed on. “I understand why that’s hard for you. You shouldn’t have to experience things like that. It’s not normal. But I’d do it again. I won’t let people die because I did nothing when I can do something.” Memories of the past flashed through his mind, memories of fire and screams. _Never_ again. “If you have a problem with that, I get it. I do. But I can’t help it. I’m sorry. This is how it is.”

“I wish it wasn’t like that for you,” Prompto said. “I wish you could be one of those princes who sits around and doesn’t have to do anything.”

Noctis laughed. “Yeah, me too. Except Ignis and Gladio would never let me be that lazy.”

“I really missed you at school today. It’s no fun without you there.”

“You mean without my notes to borrow.”

“Yeah, yeah.”

“I missed you, too. I was worried about you.”

Eyes brimming, Prompto leapt up from his chair, dodged around the table, and threw his arms around Noctis.

“Ow!” Noctis gasped.

“I’m sorry I’ve been so weird,” Prompto said, hugging Noctis. “I’m working on it.”

“Okay,” Noctis said.

“Because I’m not okay with it,” Prompto said, his voice trembling. “I’m just not. It’s not fair you have to know the things you know and do stuff like that. But I think maybe I’m finding my way to dealing.”

Noctis returned the hug. “That’s fine.”

“You’re still Noct,” Prompto said. “That’s what matters.”

“Thanks,” Noctis said.

Prompto pulled back. Noctis rubbed his side. “So, videogames?” Prompto said with a hopeful smile.

Noctis nodded. “Videogames.”

* * *

Ignis returned with Gladio a few hours later, both of them dressed for training after an evening of sparring. They found Noctis and Prompto huddled over their latest game, looks of intense concentration on their faces.

“We brought pizza,” Gladio called.

“In a minute,” Prompto said, not looking away from the screen. “If we don’t defeat the boss, we’ll have to start the whole campaign again.”

“That is not happening,” Noctis said. “Are you nearly at your limit break?”

“Yeah, nearly. We just have to hold out.”

“We can do it.”

“Right!” Prompto said. “Aaargh! Dodge, dodge, dodge!” His knight rolled several times across the screen, evading the dragon boss’ claws.

“Fine,” Gladio said. “But don’t blame me if there’s none left.”

“Whatever,” Noctis said. “Prompto, there! Grab that potion! You’re running way too low on HP!”

“Okay, got it! Noct, look out! It’s tail’s coming for you!”

“Yeah, I see it. You grab that potion. I’ll hold it off!”

Noctis’ onscreen character swung her sword and blocked the attack. Prompto’s knight grabbed the potion and used it, saving himself from death.

“Nice one, Prompto!” Noctis said.

“Thanks!”

Prompto rejoined the fray, their characters swinging their swords at the dragon, taking out huge amounts of HP. Suddenly, the screen flashed, their characters’ health bars displaying the words LIMIT BREAK! above them.

“Alright, let’s take this bastard out,” Noctis said.

“Language,” Ignis called from the table.

Noctis ignored him. “You ready?”

“Ready!” Prompto said, clutching his sweaty controller.

“Now!”

They hit their attack buttons and watched their characters perform their Limit Break attacks. And, at last, the boss was defeated. Triumphant music blasted out of the speakers.

“We did it!” Prompto cheered. He raised his hand, and got a high-five in return. “We are the best.”

“Teamwork,” Noctis said. “Couldn’t have done it without you.”

Prompto nodded. “You’re welcome.”

“Not much pizza left,” Gladio called over from the table.

“You can’t deny a hardworking man pizza!” Prompto said, leaping off the couch and racing to the table.

“Hardworking?” Gladio scoffed. “I should drag you to the gym. Then we’ll see who’s hardworking.”

“You’ll never catch me! I can run way faster than you!”

“Prompto has a point,” Ignis said.

Gladio cracked his knuckles. “You sure about that?”

“I just want a slice of pizza!” Prompto wailed.

Gladio laughed. “Alright, alright. You can have it this one time. Next time though, you’re gonna have to earn it. A whole session in the gym.”

Noctis paused the game and stood up. He looked at his friends sharing pizza and smiled, happy to have Prompto back where he belonged. He joined them and grabbed a slice of pizza. For the first time in over a week, he felt normal.

 And normal felt really, really good.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so we reach the end. Thanks again for reading everyone! I'll be back with more asap. What do you fancy? More H/C? ;)
> 
> ENJOY EPISODE IGNIS EVERYONE!

**Author's Note:**

> (Yes, the title of this is totally from Kingdom Hearts XD That music is one of Yoko Shimomura's best pieces)
> 
> Thanks for reading!


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